Promoting community and Home-Based

Promoting community and Home-Based Appropriate Post harvest Handling and Processing of Starchy staples to improve Food and Nutrition Security in Uganda.

This project is being funded by the McKnight FOUNDATION and implemented by two research institutions, Makerere University (specifically the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering) and the National Agricultural Research Organisation (specifically the National Agricultural Research Laboratories), in partnership with one of the strongest community based non-governmental organization, Volunteer Efforts Development Concern (VEDCO). The three organizations have a history of collaboration, including a recent CCRP project. The overall coordinating institution, Makerere University is a regional leader in agricultural research. All 3 institutions are renowned nationally for outstanding agricultural development research.
The goal of the project is to contribute to improved food security, nutrition and income of communities in Uganda, with Apac, Nakasongola and Kamuli districts as pilot districts. The overall objective of this project is to work with farmers, other value chain actors and the supportive institutions to strengthen the local capacity in postharvest handling and agro-processing of cereals, roots and tuber crops.

Assess the effectiveness of participatory experimentation and farmer-to-farmer extension in the promotion of improved postharvest handling among different categories of farmers. The effectiveness of these methods in improving farmer knowledge, attitude and practices will be determined.

Collaboratively develop appropriate processes and formulations for production “nutritious mixtures at community level. Different categories of farmers and processors will be facilitated to understand the principles behind nutritionally balanced formulations and will create formulations based on their resources.

Identify and strengthen formal and informal structures and arrangements for promotion of improved postharvest handling procedures among different categories of farmers. Available formal and informal institutions operating along the target crops value chains will be facilitated to adopt institutional learning and change (ILAC) approach to ensure sustained capacity to work with farmers to adapt to changing needs.
Strengthen human capacity in crop postharvest handling through training at different levels.